With screenwriterSteven Knight’snew movieLocked Downnow streaming on HBO Max, I recently landed an extended interview with directorDoug Limanwhere he went into great detail about how the movie was made during a worldwide pandemic and all the various challenges that bubbled up during the production. If you’re a fan of hearing the real stories about movie making, or just curious to hear Liman talk about the way he like to work, I promise you’ll enjoy this interview.
If you’re not familiar with the film,Locked Downis about a broken-up couple (Anne HathawayandChiwetel Ejiofor) that are forced to stay together at their London home due to the mandatory lockdown. They originally got together 10 years prior and during that time have each gone their separate ways. But when Ejiofor’s character is offered a job that surprisingly intermingles with Hathaway’s world, they start to wonder if they both should do something unexpected.Locked Downalso featuresStephen Merchant,Mindy Kaling,Lucy Boynton,Dulé Hill,Jazmyn Simon,Ben StillerandBen Kingsley.
In addition, if you know anything about how movies are made, you are well aware that making a movie takes time. Not only do you have to write the script, cast the actors, find a director, and get the financing, each step of this process can take an eternity. That’s why you sometimes hear people saying it took a decade to get something made. But withLockedDown, everything I just mentioned went out the window.
Not only did they come up with the idea in July of 2020, they started casting with only a fraction of the finished script, and then they were shooting in London in September. In addition, rather than spending months or even years working on the screenplay, everyone involved agreed to shoot the first draft. Over the course of 18 days, an exceedingly small crew shot the 180-page script during the pandemic and were the first movie given permission to shoot inside one of London’s most famous department stores: Harrods. While you might think this mad plan would result in a half-baked movie,Locked Downabsolutely captures what we’re all going through and completely works due to Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor’s fantastic performances. Moreover, the third act consists of a heist that could only be shot during a pandemic.
Check out what Dog Liman had to say below and further down the page is a complete list of everything we talked about in case you want to skip around.
Finally, if you’recurious aboutEdge of Tomorrow 2or theDoug Liman/Tom Cruisespace movie, click the links for updates on both projects.
